Butler County Tourism Awards $100,000 in Member Grants

BUTLER COUNTY, PA (May 5, 2022) – Twenty-eight Butler County travel and tourism businesses and organizations received a total of $100,000 in grant dollars from the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau (BCTCB). The winners were announced last night at the BCTCB’s annual Toast to Tourism Dinner held at the Tanglewood Center in Lyndora, Pa.

“We are pleased to be resuming the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau Member Grant Program” said Jack Cohen, President of BCTCB, adding that due to the COVID pandemic, the organization had not presented the grants the past two years. “The purpose of the grant program is to enhance the tourism experience, increase tourism visitation and overnight stays in Butler County.”

Grants have been awarded for a vast array of projects to take place in Butler County. Among them are downtown Butler’s Main Street beautification project; the addition of a sand beach area and dock repair at Porter’s Cove at Moraine State Park; and a marketing program which highlights paddleboarding, tour experiences, and events at Moraine State Park.

In previous years, BCTCB awarded $50,000 in grants. The two-year award hiatus allowed for more grants, and more grant money to be distributed this year. The grants are awarded on the basis of merit as determined by the tourism grant review committee and administered by the board of directors and the president of BCTCB.

Thursday’s 28 winners is the largest group ever to receive grants, which range in value from $500 to $5,000. To be eligible for a grant, all applicants must be members or partner with a member of the Bureau.

Also recognized as the 2022 Butler County Tourism Ambassador of the Year was Retired Judge Martin O’Brien, who was instrumental in the establishment of Washington’s Trail 1753. The trail traces the then 21-year-old George Washington’s first diplomatic trip from Williamsburg, Virginia through Butler County to Fort LeBouef in northwest Pennsylvania.

“Washington’s Trail 1753 is a special story about the history of Butler County and our country,” Cohen said. “Marty always thinks about Butler County first. There is nothing better than someone that has that passion to move this project forward.”

BCTCB hosts its “Toast to Tourism” annually during National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), which was created by Congress in 1983 to elevate the economic power of travel in the U.S. The 39th annual NTTW (May 1-7) arrives as the industry looks ahead to future growth and success following the challenges of the past two years.

2022 Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau Member Grant Program winners are:

The Rodfathers of Butler

Butler Suite Thyme

Butler Downtown

Slippery Rock Developments - Partner: Slippery Rock University

Wagon Wheel Antiques

Zelienople Area Business Association

Family Bowlaway - Partner: Springhill Suites

Curio Cool

Git Fit Families, LLC - Partner: Bear Run Campground and Moraine Preservation Fund

Sweetwater Farms

Missing Links Brewery

Big Butler Parts a Rama

Butler Freeport Community Trail

CranberryTownship

Harmony Business Association - Partner: Historic Harmony/Harmony Museum

Butler Old Stone House Region AACA

The History Hobo - Partner: Butler County Historical Society

Burgh Bits and Bites Food Tours

GRT Ultra, Inc.

Butler AM Rotary - Partner: Springhill Suites

Moraine, McConnells Mill and Jennings Commission - Partner: Moraine State Park

Butler Farm Show, Inc.

Glade Run Lake Conservancy

SurfSUP Adventures - Partner: Krol Media Associates

Derailleur Bike Shop Cafe

Spring Street Studios

Pinehall at Eisler Farms

Suite Retreat B&B - Partner: All About Reclaimed

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